Family-Friendly West & East Coast Ski Resorts

Skiing together as a family can be a bonding experience with lots of happy – and funny – memories.

Swooshing downhill playing follow the leader and exploring snowy trails under pine-scented trees are fun activities to share, and to talk about après ski over a cup of hot cocoa or a hot toddy.

Whether it’s a family tradition or an activity you’ve been yearning to do with your family, check out the following ski tips and tales from TravelingMom. January is National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, so there’s no better time than right now to head to the snowy hills. But good deals can be found all winter long.

Photo credit: Seth BullingtonTaos Ski Resort, New Mexico

Comfortable temperatures and soft fluffy snow make skiing in California and New Mexico great destinations for families. Imagine skiing under mostly sunny skies at resorts that embrace families.

New York may not come to mind when planning a family ski trip but with more than 50 resorts to choose from, you may want to think again.

Photo credit: Durango Mountain Resort, CO

People flock from all over to Colorado’s numerous ski resorts. With so many diverse resorts, it can be a challenge to choose the resort that best fits your family. If cost is a factor, check out these resorts that offer families cool deals.

Steamboat Springs in Colorado has produced many winter Olympians. But you don’t have to be an Olympic skier to enjoy all that powder. Steamboat has terrain to suit every level of skier/snowboarder.

Learning to Ski

Photo credit: Mammoth Mountain, CAKids’ ski school

New to skiing or snowboarding? Lessons are the way to go!

Even if you ski every year, a refresher lesson is a good idea for kids and adults.

The right instructor can make all the difference between struggling on skis or catching the rhythm. It took a few years before this grandma found the right instructor and resort to turn a day of skiing from tumbling to swooshing downhill at Granby Ranch.

Taking It to the Next Level

For those looking for fresh tracks and thrills, cat skiing might be a good option. Unlike pricey heli-skiing, cat-skiing dumps you in the back country’s fresh powder at a fraction of the cost in Idaho.